OlderAngelina Jolie: We Have a Moral Obligation to Help Iraqi Refugees
We have finally reached a point where humanitarian assistance, from us and others, can have an impact.
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie visited Iraq earlier this month and penned her experience for The Washington Post.
Here are some excerpts from Angie’s excellent opinion piece: “During my trip I also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has announced the creation of a new committee to oversee issues related to internally displaced people, and a pledge of $40 million to support the effort.
“My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis.
“Today’s humanitarian crisis in Iraq — and the potential consequences for our national security — are great. Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won’t explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?”
Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com.
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588 Comments
re: 296 shut up @ 02/28/2008 at 5:58 pm
sorry my post “#318 first and last post @ 02/28/2008 at 6:19 pm” should have been addressed to you #296 not to “yikes”…a repeat…
“So either she agreed to that headline, in which case she’d better quit working for the UN, or somebody at the Washington Post owes her a major apology - preferably in print.”
Depending on the newspaper if a newspaper article is not an OpEd piece, the newspaper editors have total control over sentences, titles and final say. The reasoning is because many free lancers, regular salaried reporters plus ad space contribute to the making of the total that every character space is important and number of characters in any one article is limited to fit into a format. News related paper text are on a deadline and often many articles don’t even make the final cut because editing, cutting and re-formating is done at a hectic pace. A free lancing writer submits an article and the text could be totally revised, chopped up at time of print or totally omitted. Once submitted to the newspaper, they own it and can do what they want with it, consequently no apologies unless factual and statistical corrections. They decide where it is placed, whose article can be longer than another, and the worthiness of the article. You don’t even get your original article returned to you regardless if it is chosen to be printed or not.
Hey to all the JP Fans! Keep on swatting these trolls.
BBL.
Parting words to all the trolls:
Follow Angelina’s lead and DON’T WASTE THE SPACE YOU OCCUPY
http://www.pagesix.com/story/brad+lights+lone+star+state
cook @ 02/28/2008 at 5:53 pm guli,
Thanks. I believe many people don’t have a clue as to what a military experience completely encompasses. Oh, it was the greatest experience and most one can learn on a variety of trades, skills, disciplines along with the combat training…The military highly trained to carry-out any mission where directed efficiently…I believe Angelina’s piece is suggesting since military personnel are already there, re - direct some of them to do the humanitarian deeds for which they are also trained…This is what the front line troops want.
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Thank you!! That was exactly what the point of the article was… Angie wasn’t suggesting to keep the troops there to continue combat… Some of them can help with the rebuilding/humanitarian effort. Like you said , they have been trained for it and they are also very familiar with the people/culture/surroundings etc. And most importantly they witnessed some of their friends die or get hurt badly. They also witnessed many, many innocent people and kids from Iraq killed. You might know this better, but IMO I think they would want to see a success after this war is over. That all they went thru was somehow worth it…
I am proud of her.
#317: Crystal, don’t discount the importance of oil in your life or in the lives of those you care about. When you and your family are able get rid of your cars and the petroleum products that abound in your household or forgo the value of electricity, etc. then you can talk.
Where is the oil that you are talking about if we are taking it away from the Iraqis? Where is the revenue from its sale? Why didn’t we just appropriate Kuwait when we won the war against Saddam? It’s easier. You are simply a parrot. You’re just repeating what you hear and read like so many people.
Credit JJB.
That’s not a newsboy, that’s Brad Pitt! The 44-year-old actor looked not a day over 16 in his cap and slouchy ensemble on the Texas set of his latest film, Tree of Life.
According to a local news station, Texans spotted Brad and Angie yesterday in Smithville, a town known as “Texas’ best kept secret.” Something tells us they’re going to need a new motto soon enough!
Sean Penn also stars in Tree of Life. Perhaps he’ll bring Petra Nemcova down for some double dates?
http://www.pagesix.com/files/gallery/brad-on-set01.jpg
CMAR
love your posts - very well said
305 shut up @ 02/28/2008 at 6:08 pm
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Anybody can suggest anything!
She’s doing an excellent job as goodwill ambassador, and has expressed her opinion as to what could/should be done to help the people who became refugees as a result of the occupation. Read properly before you speak.
#328, damn he looks good.
#316: crystal clear, I apologize. Did not read the rest of your comment until I came back to it. I thought you were one of those who keeps saying we are there only for the oil.
My mistake…mea culpa. I agree with you on your opinion.
look liike Brad have a new hair cut. I want to see him without the cap, i miss his hair short.
Lady G @ 02/28/2008 at 6:49 pm
Thanks for posting. Papa Pitt is cute and looks young and happy. I am looking forward to reading more information about the Movie and the plot.
Brad got a haircut. He looks great.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith in Smithville!!
listen you all gorgeous people!when MF char ask me when is my birthday,i said to her, feb.30.sorry ate char!!!!! i was just joking.then i ask JEN ANISTON bout my b-day ,when she’s about to say it,she lost her breath!!!!! i mean she’s not breathin anymore since then.so der ,i dont have a b-day!!heheehehe.
# 294 hmm @ 02/28/2008 at 5:58 pm I like and respect AJ a lot, but I don’t think that our presidential candidates need to go through her to decide what our Iraq policy should be. We are in a financial freefall and we cannot afford to be in Iraq indefinitely. We are spending billions of dollars a month and our economy is tanking, and Americans are losing their jobs and their homes. We need to find a way to withdraw from Iraq over the next two years and invite the rest of the world to get involved in the rebuilding of the region. The US is not the only country that benefits from peace in the middle east and its time to get everyone else involved. Hopefully, our new President (go Obama) will take a different route to foreign policy than Bush and we can get some things accomplished.
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Do you realize what you are saying? It’s the same thing as: We took a sh’t in Iraq, and now other countries need to come in to clean up the mess. We are out a here.
Re: 290 cook @ 02/28/2008 at 5:53 pm
Hi cook,
ITA on both your points. Many people are armchair critics of the military.
Military personnel often are the only ones in a position of advantage to organize and follow through especially when dealing with such a large number of refugees. Private contractors are too expensive and don’t have the influence nor the employee “power” to accomplish such a major task.
Brad in Texas @ 02/28/2008 at 6:45 pm
http://www.pagesix.com/story/brad+lights+lone+star+state
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Brad cut his hair. He looks so young. He is hotter than ever.
the real tita @ 02/28/2008 at 6:48 pm
Where is the oil that you are talking about if we are taking it away from the Iraqis?
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That is the $64 million dollar question that needs to be answered. Why is it that despite the US presence in Iraq, which has the 4th largest proven oil reserves, the price of oil is sky rocketing?
With all its oil riches, Iraq is still devastated and unrecognizable. Who takes care of the oil money?
With regards to Kuwait, the Kuwait government paid for the war expenses by selling cheap oil to the US for a certain number of years.
THE PRESENCE OF US IN IRAK IS OCCUPATION, THAT’S THE TRUE !!
THEY SAY THEY WON’T LIVE IRAQ BEFORE 200???, BUT SHAME ON USA, THE KILLED THOUSANDS OF CIVILIAN IRAQIS, SPOILED THEIR OIL, CAUSE YES, THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER MADE THIS WAR IF IRAK HADN’T OIL .
anustin–you even tricked MF, shame on you :lol:
OK, the a JJB fan sent an email to the idiot ‘psychologist’ who was quoted on that stupid ABC cr@p of an article. She responded back!!! I am not going to cut and paste, since she didn’t post it here, but I’ll give you the link to the jjb page…
http://thejjb.com/topic/238320?page=421
303 T&L @ 02/28/2008 at 6:07 pm
I’m proud to be Angelina’s fan. I think this is a very well written opinion and I concur with her assessment of the refugee situation. I’m not pro war by any means but the fact remains that the U.S. needs to clean up the havoc it’s created in Iraq.
And, by sheer virtue of being penned by Angelina Jolie, this opinion will travel the world over and will be read by millions of people. IMO, it helps by pressuring the U.S. presidential candidates to state their position on the Iraq refugee crisis . . .
ITA
it is already all over the blogs and many tabloid magazines (which cater for the most part to a dumb demographic) reaching people that usually are more prone to pick up and read a gossip magazine than a newspaper. ONLY ANGELINA could accomplish this.
Very true! Celebs, especially a famous and beautiful movie star, have quick access to the media , and the attention of the public, much more compared to, say, a Harvard professor. Who better than Angelina Jolie!!! The UNHCR is lucky to have her!
http://www.splashnewsonline.com/2008/02/28/brad-pitt-lands-in-texas/#comment-518844
New pic of Brad.
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I admire that Angie does not pay any attention to strangers’ opinion off her. I admire that tremendously.
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